The present invention relates to a broadcast system for broadcasting program information multiplexed with audio and video data, and more particularly to the program information producing apparatus and method for producing program information to be broadcasted, and a related receiving apparatus for displaying a program guide based on the received program information.
Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. Kokai 7-160732 discloses a program guide display technique, wherein predetermined search or retrieval conditions are given to display a rearranged program information in accordance with the agreement between the program information and the given search or retrieval conditions. However, this program guide display technique has no function for displaying the searched or retrieved programs as a channel and has no advanced navigation function. Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. Kokai 8-340310 discloses an advertisement data display technique, wherein the advertisement is displayed in a limited time slot designated by display start and end times included in the advertisement data. However, this advertisement data display technique does not consider the coexistence of the program guide and the advertisement data. Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. Kokai 9-46648 discloses a CM recording technique, wherein the time codes multiplexed with CM data are used to remove unnecessary portions in the program recording.
An object of the present invention is to provide a receiving apparatus capable of displaying a personalized channel collecting user""s preferable or receiver""s own program information in addition to common channels.
Another object of the present invention is to provides a broadcast system capable of establishing cooperative coexistence in the relationship between the program guide display and the CM or program broadcasting, or sponsor information.
Another object of the present invention is to provides a broadcast system capable of setting a variety of fees corresponding to program ranks and providing fine services in accordance with the fees.
Another object of the present invention is to provides a broadcast system allowing users or receivers to smoothly select a next program after finishing a present program.
Another object of the present invention is to provides a broadcast system capable of controlling the display of program guides (including the control of display start time and display position) or performing the promotion using other channels, thereby providing an advanced scheme for reserving or tuning the programs.
Another object of the present invention is to provides a broadcast system capable of linking program information between different networks when the same program is broadcasted through digital and analog channels in the simulcast services.
To accomplish the above and other related objects, the present invention provides a program information producing system for producing and transmitting improved program information as well as an advanced receiving system for processing the program information. The present invention realizes support for user""s selection of programs, establishes the coexistence between the program guide display and the CM/program broadcasting, allows the sponsors to provide fine services according to recording/viewing fees, gives a flexible scheme for reserving and tuning the programs, and correlates the program guides between different networks. The present invention discloses the detailed arrangement of the apparatus and method for realizing the above system.
One aspect of the present invention provides a receiving apparatus comprising a program information storing section for storing program information including program name, program start time and channel discriminating information, a program information search section for searching the program information stored in the program information storing section according to designated search conditions and for producing personalized program information resulting from the search, and a program guide display section for displaying a program guide including a personal channel including the personalized program information. With this arrangement, it becomes possible to display a user""s personal channel.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a program information producing apparatus comprising a program related information producing section for producing program related information, and means for producing both program information and the program related information or producing program information including the program related information.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a receiving apparatus comprising an advertisement information storing section for storing advertisement information, and a display section for outputting an advertisement stream to a limited space on a screen when a program guide is displayed on the screen, the advertisement stream being referred to by the advertisement information.
Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention provides a program information producing apparatus comprising a program information producing section for producing ordinary program information, and a sub program information producing section for producing sub program information including sub program identification data and sub program position data. With this arrangement, it becomes possible to provide a program guide including the sub program on a screen of the receiving apparatus.
Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention provides a receiving apparatus comprising a sub program search section for accessing sub programs to search a relevant sub program with reference to sub program reference information of a viewed broadcasted program, and a program guide display section for displaying the relevant sub program by using a limited space of a screen when a program guide is displayed on the screen.
Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention provides a program information producing apparatus comprising a charge information producing section for adding program recording fees to program information, the program recording fees including a plurality of ranks classified in accordance with a recording or viewing type of a sub program. With this arrangement, it becomes possible to set a variety of charge ranks according to the recording or viewing type of the sub program (e.g., CM and preview).
Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention provides a receiving apparatus comprising a program recording section for recording a sub program together with an ordinary program when a recording request includes both of the ordinary and sub programs and for recording only the ordinary program by skipping the sub program when the recording request includes only the ordinary program, and a charging section for differentiating a recording fee in accordance with the inclusion of the sub program in the recording of the ordinary program.
Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention provides a program information producing apparatus comprising a program information producing section for producing ordinary program information, and a sub program playback frequency information producing section for producing program information describing a mandatory playback frequency of a recorded ordinary program performed without skipping a sub program.
Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention provides a receiving apparatus comprising a program recording section for recording an ordinary program and a sub program separately, a playback order table producing section for producing an ordinary/sub program playback order table describing a playback order of the ordinary program and the sub program, and a program playback section for reproducing the ordinary program and the sub program in accordance with the ordinary/sub program playback order table.
Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention provides a receiving apparatus comprising a sub program position table producing section for producing a sub program position table describing the position of a sub program in an ordinary program, a program playback section for reproducing both the ordinary program and the sub program when a playback request includes both of the ordinary and sub programs and for reproducing only the ordinary program by skipping the sub program with reference to the sub program position table when the playback request includes only the ordinary program.
Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention provides a program information producing apparatus comprising a next program information producing section for producing program information of a next program to be tuned in to during or after the broadcasting of a program. With this arrangement, it becomes possible to allow each user to select a favorite next program or realize an automatic tuning operation by the receiving apparatus.
Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention provides a receiving apparatus comprising a tuning switch section for tuning in to a next program in accordance with next program information during or after the broadcasting of a program.
Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention provides a receiving apparatus characterized in that a program guide, or content of the program guide, or a display method of the program guide is differentiated in accordance with a presently broadcasted program.
Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention provides a program information producing apparatus comprising a relevant information producing section for producing program information related data as one component constituting a program, the program information related data being used for display and control of the program information, thereby transmitting the program information in connection with the content of the program. With this arrangement, it becomes possible for the receiving apparatus to reserve or tune a program based on the program information related data.
Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention provides a receiving apparatus comprising a receiving section for receiving program information related data including a list of channels to be displayed, and a program guide display section for displaying a program guide including designated channels.
Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention provides a program information producing apparatus comprising a program information producing section for producing ordinary program information, and a link information producing section for producing program link information or channel link information indicating that a subjective program or channel is identical in content with a program or channel described in the program information of a channel group transmitted by using a different method. With this arrangement, it becomes possible to allow each user to check the difference between the linked channels in their program contents, fees and qualities when the same program is broadcasted in both analog and digital channels.
Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention provides a receiving apparatus comprising a receiving section for receiving a subjective program or channel with program information including program link information or channel link information, and a program guide display section for displaying a program guide including the content of another program or channel having identical program link information or channel link information as that of the subjective program or channel.